The Sacrifice
by Rogue Pryde
Summary: AU IK Oneshot. He was trained for one purpose, and that was to find a miko to bring the Shikon no Tama to his people. First he had to get to know her, earn her trust, and make her willing do to anything for him. If his mission succeeded, she'd die for him


Dear goodness! ANOTHER oneshot! I'm obsessed! But I wanted to write this, so you all have to suffer.

Note: Hiten is human in this fic.

* * *

I was trained to hate her and her kind.

I was one of the individuals chosen to go after the Shikon no Tama. The mission was simple. Four of us would integrate with the humans, mingle with them, earn their trust, and then use them to find a latent miko. Once she was found, a girl, since no male could be fully accepted by the jewel, we had to convince her to come with one of us, back to our world. The second her body reached its destination, it would burn to ash. Ordinary humans could never survive the atmosphere, and not even her latent powers would save the girl.

The jewel was already found. It was the centerpiece of a rich lady's necklace, and was easy enough to steal. Demons couldn't touch it, but holding it by the chain it rested on was fine. We were able to keep it with us, but the shikon needed to use it's own power to transfer itself to our world, and that was beyond us.

I'd been searching for about a month before I found her and I was getting sick of being surrounded by the human stench. Up close, the species was more weak, more pathetic, then I had ever imagined. I was disgusted by the mere sight of them, not one of that breed had shown any kind of backbone, of courage, while I was amidst them. I'd never had faith in their kind, and after exposure, I doubted I ever would.

She was actually running down the street chasing a man in a dark ski mask. We'd been instructed for situations like this, and saving stolen property from a would be thief ensured the trust of the owner. Trust was something we had to build in order for our mission to have a chance of success.

Surprisingly, she caught up with him before I did, though admittedly she'd had a head start. Since she obviously had no concrete means of stopping him, she took a deep breath and launched herself into the air, landing on his back. The sudden weight made him trip and fall to the floor, bringing her with him. In the scuffle, I saw her grab her purse and try to get away, but he'd managed to catch hold of her wrist.

That was when I came in. I was ready to fight, but the cowardly human that he was took off at the sight of me. Young girls were fine, but he didn't want to mess with someone like me. I turned my attention to the girl, expecting her to be breathless in her thanks or frantically rummaging in her purse checking its contents.

She was laughing.

"My word!" She grinned, trying unsuccessfully to adjust her mussed hair to some semblance of neatness. "I don't know why I chased after him like that. It's not like there's anything in there worth stealing." She shook her head at her own foolishness. "Instinct I guess." Then she looked up at me, finally focusing all of her attention in my direction. "Thanks, by the way."

By the way? I'd rescued enough purses that I knew I was supposed to get more then that. "No problem." I gave her one of those inviting grins, the kind that made girls swoon. But it had no effect on her. She simply smiled again and strung the purse onto her shoulder.

She would have turned to leave then, but a fierce wind blew over us and startled her enough that she nearly lost her balance. A credit to my training, I reached out a hand to steady her, and that was when I noticed it. The scent drifted softly around her, coming strongly one minute and nearly nonexistent the next. But it was unmistakable. She was a miko.

They were rare, rarer then we had imagined. In a month, four demons were unable to find even one, of any age. I knew that I couldn't afford to let this one go. I racked my brain for an excuse to stay close to her. "You have nothing in your purse? No money?" She shook her head mutely, as if embarrassed of her earlier display with the thief. "Then let me treat you to something." I didn't ask, I told her. I'd learned that women were more obedient that way.

She seemed surprised, though she shouldn't have been. I'd only been in her world a month and I already knew that social rules allowed me the right of asking her out for a meal or something equally minor. I'd saved her purse after all, regardless of its lack of contents.

"Are you serious?" For a minute, I wondered if she asked out of disgust, but then her face lit up. "That would be so awesome! Do you have any idea how hungry I am?" She blushed then, embarrassed. "Not that I'm going to pig out or anything on your bill, I just haven't eaten yet today."

"Don't worry about it." I brushed her off, a little of my old habits breaking in. I might have sounded a little rude, but she didn't seem to notice, or care. "I just hope you like ramen."

"Why?" She asked, not objecting but curious nonetheless.

"Because that's all I can afford right now." She laughed again, surprising me. I was afraid I'd lose her after the admission. Most women have more expensive tastes then someone like me.

"Ramen's great! You're a lifesaver." The admission was more sincere than her gratitude for my half hearted rescue. She didn't say anything about a curfew, and I wasn't going to bring it up if she wasn't. It was already late, but she didn't act worried at all, not even glancing at the clock when we were at the restaurant.

Surprisingly, we'd found things to talk about. One of the things I could actually tolerate in the human world was music. And she, Kagome (she later told me her name), was an expert on all the right styles. And while I listened to it mostly for the effect the vibes from hard rock had on me, I couldn't help but be fascinated by her analysis of lyrics.

She was fascinated by them, and her interested spurred mine. Her whole face came alive as she contemplated what specific lines could mean, how the correlated with the rest of the song, the chorus, the message, and the sarcastic edge so many songs were employing. I was riveted.

Normally, after a situation like that, I'd walk the girl home, subtly finding out where she lived and further making myself appear more trustworthy. Kagome wouldn't hear of it. She insisted on walking _me_ home, claiming that she was returning the favor. I had the sneaking suspicion she just didn't like being indebted to anyone, which wouldn't bode well for me, since the entire plan revolved around her feeling beholden enough to me to do what I asked without questions.

I wasn't too disappointed though. The walk to my apartment was interesting, our conversations never seemed to dwindle off into one of those uncomfortable silences. When we arrived, I struggled to think of a way to keep hold of my find. "Will I see you again?" I asked, being bold for me, since I would usually let the girl ask.

She shrugged, and then gave me a spunky wink. "Maybe." Then she grinned. "But you should be more careful. I could be a scary stalker killer girl, out to murder unsuspecting boys." She attempted to make a scary face, but failed miserably. I cracked a grin.

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have anything to be worried about." I informed her, I even chuckled a little as her face reverted back to normal. She sighed in disappointment.

"You couldn't even let me have my delusions, could you?" She asked, shaking her head at my apparent lack of sympathy. She looked up. "Then maybe _you're_ the scary stalker killer boy, out to drink my blood or something."

"If you don't want to see me again, just say so." I said dryly, hiding my amusement at her antics. Humans could be stupid, but there was a vague line between stupid and amusing. Kagome managed to amuse me without ever once coming across as stupid. I was able to look forward to my assignment, if only a little, for that sole reason. At least I wouldn't be annoyed to death by my target.

"Okay!" Her eyes danced. "I don't want to see you again." That surprised me. I mean, it _really_ surprised me. The shock must have been evident on my face because she just laughed again, hugging herself to protect her lithe form from the cold. "I'm kidding! I'll probably see you around. My father and I just moved here, and I live on this side of town."

That made my job a lot easier. Less commute. "Great." I gave her another one of the smiles I'd learned. "Walk home safe!" I contemplated kissing her, but from what I knew of her already, I doubted she'd take the action kindly, and I didn't want to soil my mouth with her dirty human one unless I had to.

"I will!" She promised, turning to leave with a little wave. She jogged lightly, turning on the next street over. We were in a residential area and the way she'd turned wasn't towards the exit, so she really must have lived close. I closed the door behind her, not bothering to lock it. If any would be thieves tried to rob me, they'd regret it.

* * *

The second time I saw her, she was running again. But this time someone was chasing her.

She saw me just as she passed by, having the cheek to give me a little wave. "Hi Inuyasha!" She called, not stopping to greet me properly. Figuring I'd lose my chance to talk with her if she had to keep running, I decided to intervene. It didn't take much, I just stuck my foot out and the guy went sprawling. He scrambled to his feet, and probably would have tried to fight me if I hadn't given him my most demonic glare. No human could stand against it, and they'd spend hours trying to convince themselves it wasn't as supernatural as it appeared.

She looked back, saw she wasn't being followed, and stopped, pressing her hands to her knees and bending over in an attempt to catch her breath. "You always save me." She grinned, after I'd caught up with her.

"You always need it." I retorted. "Why was he chasing you?" The look on his face had been murderous. If he'd have caught her she would have suffered for it. I couldn't help but be curious how a girl like her could make an enemy.

"I," she stood up, tall and proud. "managed to embarrass that bully, Hiten, in front of the whole school! He's such a player," She went on, obviously annoyed at the thought of him. "He strung along two of my friends, and he picks on the freshman all the time. He beats up people for fun too. So he deserved what he got."

"And what did he get?" She just grinned, pursing her lips and shaking her head. "You're not going to tell me?" I was surprised, I was giving her an opening for bragging and she wasn't taking it. She was a strange human.

"Nope!" She shook her head, eyes laughing again. "Who knows, I may need to do the same thing to you one day! I can't go around telling guys my secrets!" She looked up, as if it was an excuse to look away from me. Then her face lit up. "Look!" She pointed towards the sky, outlining the dark clouds with her fingertips. "It's going to rain!"

Sure enough, a second later the clouds broke and water poured from the sky. It wasn't the light sprinkle that usually came this time of year, it was practically a storm. Rain came down in sheets, drenching us in a matter of seconds. I grabbed her by the arm, "C'mon!"

She wouldn't move. Tugging against my arm until I finally released her, she threw her arms into the air, staring at the sky and spinning around and around. "I'm not going in!" She laughed. "Are you crazy?"

"I should be asking you that." I retorted, having to yell over the sound of the water striking the pavement. She stopped spinning for a moment, turning to face me. Her smile was dazzling, and she was beautiful if only for the purity of spirit that radiated from her right then. The rain actually suited her, soaking her hair, pouring down her face, dripping from her eyelashes and clinging to her clothes, plastering them against her lithe form.

"I probably am." She admitted. Since I hadn't made a move to leave yet, I assume she thought I wasn't planning to. She grabbed me by both arms and pulled me with her to the very center of the street. Then she looked up at the sky, laughing like she didn't have a care in the world.

I didn't laugh with her. I barely even smiled. But for the first time in a long while, my heart didn't feel quite so heavy in my chest. For just a moment, I didn't have to be the half demon trying to prove himself, the trainee studying to kill, or the monster humanity denounced me as.

So I looked up with her, conscious of her hands gripping my sleeves the entire time.

* * *

After that, she agreed to meet me for coffee. That became a morning ritual for us, meeting by Kaede's Café, right when it opened. She never got a 'real' coffee, always sticking to the frappacinnos or lattes. I ordered mine black, like a real demon. I didn't even put cream and sugar in it, and she couldn't help but make a face every time I took a drink.

One morning, when we hadn't even ordered our drinks yet, she suddenly grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up from my seat. "Let's go!" She ordered, actually racing as she ran out of the store. "Hiten saw us!" She called back, answering my unspoken question.

"You're still running from that guy?" I had assumed the whole ordeal was over. She never talked about it. I was chasing after her, forgetting for the time being that I could stop the human with just a glare.

"He's still mad." She said, by way of explanation. Of course, that only made me more curious as to what she'd done to him, but I kept quiet. "C'mon, I know a place we can go." Her smile scared me, I'd learned to recognize it as warning for trouble. "He'll never be able to follow us."

As we ran, she kept glancing up at a gigantic clock on one of the towering buildings. Briefly, I wondered how important that could possibly be. We reached a bridge, and she kept running, actually speeding up. Once we arrived at the center, she grabbed me by the wrist. "Trust me." She said. Never did two words make me more wary.

Pulling me almost against my will, she stepped on to the rail. She winked. And jumped off, taking me with her.

She screamed, but I think it was more out of enjoyment then anything else. We landed far sooner then I had thought we would, hitting the top of a train as it sped below us, only a fifteen foot drop from the bridge. The force of our landing knocked us around a little bit, and I hadn't thought anything of it until I heard her sharp gasp of pain.

"What happened?" It didn't take long for me to be assured of my balance, and I was at her side quickly.

"It's nothing." She assured me. "I'm fine." The lines on her forehead said otherwise, but she was being stubborn.

"If you hurt yourself you should let me see." This was all about trust. I needed her to trust me. If she wouldn't even let me see her injuries, how could I hope she'd handle the Shikon for me. I reached for her shirt, intending to lift up the back and see if she was bruised.

She jerked herself away from me faster then I would have thought she was capable of. "I said I'm fine!" She was biting her lip now. I'd never seen her do that before, but I'd learned that many humans did it out of nervousness, or fear. But what did she have to be nervous or afraid about?

I didn't say anything, just looked at her. She kept gnawing on her lip, trying to avoid my gaze. "I'm sorry." She said finally. "Just humor me, okay?" I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile but I was raging with disappointment. I had thought my mission was close to being completed but I had miscalculated her feelings for me. I hadn't even reached the status of a trusted friend yet.

She curled up into a little ball and leaned against a metal cylinder jutting out from the roof of the train. I was planning on minding my own business and falling asleep myself, just until the train stopped, when she pulled her legs up tighter against her, unconsciously allowing her skirt to reveal more skin.

That's when I saw the bruises.

I knew humans bruised easier than we did, but even I realized how stupid my question was after I blurted it. "Are those from falling just now?" I asked, motioning to her marred skin.

She looked down, confused. When she saw what had grabbed my attention, her entire demeanor shifted. "No." She said shortly, her face an emotionless mask. I'd never seen her look that way before. She pulled her skirt tighter against her legs, and turned her back to me.

"What are they from?" I had to push this. I had to make her trust me. I had to make myself the most important person in my life. So much depended on it.

She didn't answer, and I got mad. The stress of the faith of people resting on me, the consequences if I failed, and the guilt at what I would do to her that I denied feeling were eating away at me and making more irritable then normal. "Fine." I spat. "It's not like we're friends anyway." I knew my words were cruel, but I wanted her to argue with me. I wanted her to voice exactly how she felt about me.

But she didn't say anything. I turned my back on her too, knowing she couldn't see the action but feeling better for it. I was almost asleep when I heard her stir. A second of that she crawled over, stopping right behind me. Slowly, hesitantly, she embraced me, wrapping her arms around my stomach and pressing her face into my back.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice breaking. I could feel her tears as they seeped into my back. She held me like that for a long while, actually sobbing aloud once when I moved to put my hands over hers in a comforting gesture. "It was my dad." The last part came so soft that I almost didn't catch it, even with my advanced hearing.

My hand tightened on hers. She kept talking, pushing her face harder against me as if that blocked out the rest of the world, keeping her separate from the pain enveloping her life. "He's hated me ever since mom died. I look like her, and when he's drunk it makes him angry. And he's always drunk. He can't be sober anymore. It hurts him too bad."

"Don't make excuses for him." I couldn't help but snap at her. Her father was another example of why I hated humans so much. Demons never beat on their young unless it was to make them stronger. He was doing it for his own relief, not even seeing the potential within her.

I turned around, wanting to see her for some inexplicable reason. Tears had coursed down her cheeks and I was reminded of that day in the rain, when she had laughed at the sky as it threw down its worst. "How can you smile all the time?" I asked, the question pulling itself from me. "How can you act so happy?"

She smiled then, still genuine and real in spite of the wetness on her face. She rubbed her eyes against her sleeve before answering, but I could still see the tears in them when she spoke. "Because if I don't, then I'd be really pathetic. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me." She looked at me warningly. "Don't you dare," She started.

"Not a chance." I scoffed, trying to treat the situation as lightly as she did. "You're too tough to be pitied. I think you'd beat me up." I drew my face closer to hers as I spoke.

"I probably would." She teased, scrunching her nose at me. Before either of us knew what we were doing, our lips touched. She pulled away, as if stung. I was surprised myself, but a second later our bodies took control, leaving our minds far behind.

For days after, I tried to tell myself I'd only done it to make her need me more.

I never did manage to convince myself.

* * *

I knew she was ready. She'd been ready for a long time before I made myself retrieve the Shikon no Tama to bring to her. It wasn't guilt that made me struggle to approach her once it was in my pocket. I refused to accept that.

We were at a park that had become another one of our favorite places. She was sitting on a bench, waiting for me. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and I had to look away. Luckily for the mission, she didn't notice.

"Where have you been?" She laughed, getting up and walking towards me. "You're nearly an hour late! You're just lucky I don't have a life." I tried to grin, but to my mind it was a feeble attempt. She noticed that time. "Is something wrong?"

"Kagome," I pulled her by the wrist and had her sit down beside me one the bench. "I'm sure you've noticed that I'm a little . . . different." I didn't elaborate. She'd played with my ears before, and teased me about my vampire teeth, but never once did she ask me about them.

She was concerned, and I hated her for not being disgusted with me. "What's wrong? Why does it matter?" That was Kagome. She was always more concerned for other people then herself, even when they didn't deserve it. And of all the people she'd ever loved, I deserved it the least.

"I'm a demon." I said it bluntly; half hoping it would scare her away. It didn't. Nothing would, I knew her better then that. She didn't even seem scared, placing a hand on my arm to steady me if it was too hard to go on. I wanted to rip her hand off, anything to make her run away from what I was going to make her do. But I had the feeling that even if I attacked her she wouldn't leave.

I pulled out the Shikon, the sunlight made its beauty more ethereal then it had ever been before, but maybe that was because it was with a Miko like her. "This jewel," my voice came from far away. "Is called the Shikon no Tama. My people need this to survive." We needed it to be stronger; we needed it to completely obliterate her kind.

"Only a Miko can bring it into our world for us." I couldn't bear to look her in the eye. Her hand on my sleeve was becoming heavier and heavier. "You're a Miko, Kagome."

I looked up then, my pride refusing to let me betray her like a coward. Her face had always been expressive, especially her eyes. At that moment they were filled with such understanding, I felt stupid in front of them. If nothing else, she knew that I had needed her for this task from the beginning.

She knew I had used her.

But there was no hate anywhere in her face, not even in her eyes. Which was fine, I hated myself enough right then. "What do I need to do?" Her voice was soft, but it still startled me. I suppose I wasn't expecting an answer, though knowing her I should have. She was never one to back down on things.

I explained it to her. She only had to hold the jewel tightly in her hand and touch my skin at the same time. I didn't tell her the rest. I didn't tell her she'd die.

She nodded slowly, and reached to clasp my hand in hers. I set the necklace down on the bench, careful to touch only its chain. Once it was in our world, demons would be able to touch it. All the purity of it would be destroyed and we would taint it by absorbing its power.

"Stop!" A voice broke across the stillness, shattering the silence that enveloped us. I instantly recognized the newcomer for the priest he was, both by his dress and the staff he held tightly in his fist. "If you do as he says you'll give the demons the power they need to destroy mankind!" He looked at her intensely. "And you'll die in the process."

She looked at me then, whirling so sharply her hair made an audible sound as it cut through the air. I couldn't look at her and that was answer enough. I pulled my hand out from hers. "It's true." I said, my voice hoarse. I'd failed my people, and I'd probably be punished severely, brutally, but I was glad the priest had shown up when he did.

I could hear her tears in her voice as she clenched her fists on her lap. "I shouldn't be surprised. It's not like I've never been used before." She was staring at me and I couldn't disappoint her by refusing to meet her gaze, but I was having trouble breathing at what I saw there. "I don't want to pretend I never met you. Because in spite of everything, I was happy when I was with you . . . happier than I'd ever been before." She grasped my hand again. "I'd rather die pretending these last few minutes never happened." She tightened her grip on my hand. "I'd rather die happy."

I felt my heart stop when she reached for the jewel.

A thousand things flashed through my mind. The importance of the mission, my dreams of becoming a full demon, the power that was almost within my grasp, the legend I would become, I dismissed all of them, pulling her back with all my might and reaching the jewel before she did, gripping it tightly with my free hand.

Demons cannot touch the Shikon no Tama without extreme pain. Prolonged exposure results in a painful death. I was too afraid to let go. I was afraid as soon as I loosened my grip she'd snatch it from me to finish out her suicidal task. So I held on to it with all my strength, gritting my teeth and shutting my eyes tight against the pain. I think I screamed.

For an instant, I was able to open my eyes, and I saw her staring at me in a kind of wonder. Tears were streaming freely down her face, but this time they were for me, and I loved her for it. Then my eyes closed and the pain stopped abruptly.

* * *

1 Year Later . . .

"Kagome!" Yumi admonished her friend. "This is the fifth guy you've stood up this month! You have to start dating soon or you'll wind up an old maid!" Her face softened a little. "Do you want to live alone forever?"

Kagome shook her head. She'd been living on her own for about six months now. "I like it on my own." Her smile was weak. "And I really don't want to date anyone right now. I'm just not interested." She'd never been much into dating, and she'd become more withdrawn socially in the past year.

Yumi just shrugged, apparently giving up for the moment. "Then you should at least call these guys to say you're not going to show up. It's hard enough for me to convince them to go on a blind date without you spoiling it."

Kagome just shook her head again, offering her friend another one of those fake, plastic smiles. "Too much work Yumi. I'm too lazy." She hadn't used her phone in months.

"There's a party tonight!" Her friend suggested. "If you come, I promise not to try and hook you up with anyone." She meant it too, in spite of all her meddling, she cared about Kagome. Sometimes she wondered what had happened a year ago to change her so much. In some ways, she was better. After moving out, she'd finally confided in her about her father. Yumi was glad to be trusted after all that time. But she was always sad now. Before, she could hide it better, but now each day seemed to wear her down.

"I'll think about it." She promised, but they both knew it wasn't true. "I need to head home now though, finish my homework."

Yumi nodded. "Me too. I'll see you tonight." It wasn't very hopeful, but she had to try. "It's at Keri's place. Show up any time after ten and you'll be good."

Kagome smiled softly and waved before turning to go home. She was glad for Yumi, she really was. Yumi had stuck by her and stayed her friend, even after everything. She was probably hoping the old Kagome would come back, the one who could smile through anything, but it didn't seem too likely. Now she had to make an effort to manage the smallest of smiles.

"Are you walking home by yourself?" The voice came from behind her, deep and older. It was vaguely familiar, but not enough so that it quelled the worry at being caught walking alone on a deserted street. "With only a school bag? No purse? No money?" She froze.

She wasn't imagining things, she _knew_ that voice. "But then, even if you had a purse, you don't carry money in it. Maybe you've given up on the practice since I've been gone." She caught her breath; afraid if she let it out it would be just another dream.

"Let me treat you to something."

She turned around, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at him, unable to move. "How?" She asked, her voice breathless and weak.

He smiled at her, and it was the smile that she remembered, the small, almost unwilling one, and she fell in love with it all over again in spite of the fact that it was accompanied by dark hair and darker eyes. "I was only a half demon." He told her, approaching her slowly. She waited, trembling. "The Shikon no Tama destroyed everything in me that wasn't human. Miroku, the priest who was there that day, took me in after I stopped you from grabbing it. He saved my life. It took a long time for me to heal."

He was walking too slowly. She couldn't wait. With a small gasp, she closed the gap between them, launching into his arms. "You're alive." She whispered into his shirt as he held her close. "That's all that matters."

They held each other for a long time, neither wanting to let go. As night fell, it started to rain, softly at first and then in torrents. Kagome pulled her face out of his shirt and look up, first at him, and then raising her eyes to the sky. He did the same.

Together, they started laughing.

* * *

DONE! This is a STRANGE kind of oneshot for me to do, but I'm experimenting again! It's loosely based on a manga oneshot I read, where there is a demon and a jewel and a girl that has to be sacrificed to get the jewel to his ppl. The girl in that manga was abused too, but I changed a lot of the details when writing this. Like how they met, what they talked about, how he came back, her friends trying to hook her up, stuff like that. I just thought it was a nifty idea for a story. I hope you guys liked it! I had fun writing it even though it was so stinkin long! For me anyway. I hope you guys liked it! This is new for me so input would be GREATLY appreciated!

-Rogue Pryde


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